Rail clamp for overhead cranes



Sept. 4, 1923. 1,466,657

B. c. JACOB RAIL CLAMP FOR OVERHEAD CRANES Filed Nov. 7, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 "Mg; ll l I I J Brent C. Jacob r I I I H15 ATTORI' 0 INVENTOR-z Sept. 4, 1923.

B. C. JACOB RAIL CLAMP FOR OVERHEAD CRANES Filed Nov. '7 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 N, INVENTORZ Brent C. Jacob BY (1m K Hxs ATTOKENEK atented Sept. 1, 1923.

BRENT C.

JACOB, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BROWN HOISTING t CHINERY COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION.

RAIL CLAMP FOR OVERHEAD CBANES.

Application filed November 7, 1922. Serial No. 599,536.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BRENT C. JACOB, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail Clamps for Overhead Cranes, of which the following is a sufficiently full, clear, and exactdescription to enable one skilled in the art to which it relates to make and use the same without other more particular explanation.

The improvement relatesor is more plainly applicable to rail clamps or locking mech anism for traveling conveying bridges and the like. and the purpose of the invention is y to provide means whereby such structure may be securely fastened .or locked to the heads of. the rails 11 on which the bridge structure travels. 1 cans of the kind in question, now used, are mainly of two sorts, namely: a solenoid brake attached to the shaft of the motor that actuates the bridgetravel gear, and rail-clamps that are attached to the pier and shear supporting trucks and which are manipulated either electrically or by hand. Under ordinary conditions the solenoid-brake is sufiiciently effective to hold the bridge structure against movement, but, large structures of this type, under the force of the wind, sometimes overcome the resistance by the solenoid brake, and run away.

The main object of my invention may be said to provide aclampingdevice that will automatically function to clamp the structure to which it pertains, whenever the operator permits, and, when employed on elec-- trically traversed bridges or structures, that may be arranged to unclamp the same in advance of anv designed starting of structure, and, that further, under all conditions, by reason of the principle of its construction, will exert a gripping force that depends upon, and is progressively proportioned to the moving force of the mass that is to be resisted and held.

The mechanism hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out as embodying the invention, accordingly involves a supporting casing, or frame, from the top of which a pair of oppositely disposed clamp- PATENT OFFICE.

ing-arms or members, are pivotally suspended, at such distance apart that their lower, or clamping ends will straddle the ra l to be clamped, with their op osing sides in contact, and at right angles with the sides.

fof. the rail head, and firmly held in place between the ends of a bolt that is passed through apertures in the frame and the parts for the purpose.

Among the parts so arranged, is a remov-, able wedge-shaped part astride the bolt that is arranged to insert itself between the parts by gravity, when freed for the purpose, and

thereby to serve the same locking-function arch. In the combination in question, therefore,'suitable mechanism for operating this wedge are provided by means of which the locking and unlocking of the series of parts may be effected as occasion requires. locking-function of the wedge however, as will be obvious, will bring about no greater degree of clamping contact than results from the weight and lateral thrust of the wedge when lowered between the beveled surfaces of the adjoining parts, and, although such degree of clamping will probably be sufi'icient for ordinary practice, nevertheless, inasmuch as the further aim of the invention, as stated, is to qualify the apparatus for emergency or other extraordinary condition, additional mechanical and structural features are provided to effectucertain details with respect to the several contacting parts. By this arrangement a degree of flexibility is imparted to the device whereby, if,

The 4 in the alignment, as the key-stone in an the pier..-

tween the jaws and, in consequence, will instantly bring about a new and unyielding hold.

The excess moving-force of the structure to be clamped, in this manner is converted from a moving to a braking, or clamping force, for effecting the result sought.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a side view or elevation of a type of traveling conveying-bridge to which this invent o n 1s applicable, displaying the relative posltions of the rail clamps, controller, and the br1dgetravel motor. Fig. II is an enlarged side view of one of the shear-supporting trucks, showing the relation of the rail clamp wlth the truck and rail head. Fig. III is an enlarged side view of the rail clamp unit, detached from the truck. Fig. IV is an end view of the clamp showing a method of supporting the solenoid unit that is a part of one type of clamp as a whole. Fig. VIIS a top view of such clamp. Fig. VI is a sectional View of the clamp and soleno1d on the lines AA in Fig. V. Fig VI is a view of the clamping element, showing the side adjacent to the rail-head. Fig. VII is a sectional view of the clamp on the lines B--B of Fig. IV, when the clamping element is in gripping engagement with a rail head. Figs. VIII and IX are views at a quadrant interval, of the wedge employed to force the clamping elements into contact with the rail-head. Fig. X is a wiring diagram of an electric system for the control and operation of a brid e-crane equipped with said invention, and Fig. XI is a view similar to Fig. IV showing a means for operating the wedge manually.

Like parts throughout the drawings are designated by the same reference characters.

1 is a traveling conveying bridge-crane as a whole.

2 is the bridge proper which supports the man trolley.

3 is the pier, supporting one end of the bridge.

3is (meet a pair oftrucks thatsupport 4 is the-shear supporting the other end of the bridge. "4 is one of a pair oftrucks that support the shears.

5 5- 5'are the rails upon which the pier and shear trucks are mounted; in the construction shown, one rail is required for the shear track and two rails for the pier track.

6 is the man-trolley adapted to traversethe bridge.

7 is the motor-house containing the bridgetraveling gear motor and the contactor panels.

8 is the motor that actuates the brid etraveling gear 9, shown, in part, in Fig.

in Fig. X is the solenoid-brake attached to the shaft of the motor 8.

10 is the master-controller, located on the bridge structure near the shear 3. It may be located also in the man-trolley 6.

11 is the rail clamp as a whole when electrically operated; four of these are usually used on a bridge-crane; two on the shear trucks and two on the pier trucks.

The clamp 11with its wedge operating solenoid-is made up of several detail pieces. The main or supporting member 11 is fastened to a truck by means of the bolts 11 that pass through the holes 11 and corresponding holes in the true frame. Said member 11 is a casting that extends from the lower side of the head 5 of the rail 5 to be clamped to a height to accommodate the upwardly extending arm 12 of the mag netic frame 13 of a solenoid 13. A horizontal section ofthe casting 11 is much like the letter H; the two vertical sides 11' and 11 being connected by the web member 11 Bifurcations or cuts 1111 are made at the bottom of the side members 11, 11 so that the casting 11 will clear the rail heads. Wing-like portions 11 11 extend from the side members 11*, 11; these extensions serve as limit stops for one of the swinging clamp-members 14, 14. On the opposite side of the sides 11 l1 are the wing-like extensions 11", 11 which serve as limit stops for the second or left-hand clamp-member 14, and, also as supports for the solenoid 13. Flange portions 11 11 extend inwardly of the casting 11 from the extension 11 11; these flanges hold the left hand clampmember 14 (as viewed in the drawings) from any transverse movement.

Swells or protuberances 11", 11", extending vertically and protruding inwardly from the extensions 11, 11 near their outer edges, are provided with holes 11, 11, which are the receptacles for solenoid frame supporting springs 16, 16. The holes 11, 11 are of two diameters; the lesser diameter being at the lower portion of the holes. and are a little larger than the springs, which the holes accommodate, and the greater diameter extending from 'the top of the. holes downwardly to the lesser diameter. The holes are somewhat larger than the springs to permit the springs to sway when influenced by the action of the solenoid-frame as the solenoid functions.

At the upper left hand corner of the sides 11 11 are pin holes to accommodate the hinge-pin 15, which extends through the llU sides far enough to receive cotters (not shown) in the cotter holes 15, 15, for holding the pin 15 in the casting 11.

At the top of the casting 11 and extending to the right and'left of the web portion 11 and midway thereof, is a in-bearing 11 which holds the swivel-pin 1 Thebottom of the web piece 11 is arched at 11 to clear a clamping;bolt 18.

The swivel-pin 17 has a turned-down portion which fits loosely in the pin-bearin' 11", and extends through the same a su cient distance to accommodate a cotter l7 -in the hole 17 The enlarged portion of the swivelpin 17 extends from the face of the pin-bearing 11 and has a transverse hole to receive a hinge-pin 19. The pin projects from each side of the pin 17 far enough to engage and carr the right-hand clamp-member 14. Cotters (hot shown) bold the pin 19 in place.

The configuration of the clamp-members 14, 14 resembles, roughly, a ladle, of which the upper portion is the handle and the lower portion, or jaw, is the bowl. The upper end of handle portion is bifurcated at 14 (see Fig. VI) to a degree to straddle the upwardly extending arm 12 of the solenoid frame in one distance and the swivel-pin 17' in the other. The forked portions of the clamp-member 14 is preferably bent away from ,the vertical portion and the prong portion 14 is provided with holes 14", to engage the pin 15 in one instance, and the pin 19 in the other.

The purpose of bending the forked ends away from the vertical is, to have the center of gravity of the clamps 14-14: at one side of their pivoted poiiits at pins 15 and 19, so that the clamps will automatically swing away from the rail-head 5- when the solenoid is operated to release the clamps. The

handle portion extends downwardly from the pivotal points to a suitable distance to bring the lower edge 14 of the bowl-portion or jaw in alignment with the rail-head 5 The upper half of the bowl, or jaw, is conical in form, and the lower half rectangular, with an aperture of corresponding shape through each portion adapted to receive the bolt 18 therethrough with a free operative clearance for the same.

The lower side of the bowl, or jaw, is chamfered around the edge of the aperture, to form a socket-shaped depression or hearing seat 14 and a flange 14' projects inwardly from the lower inner face or edge of the jaw to contact with the side of the railhead when the clamping arms have been compressed towards each other for the purose.

A washer-like piece 20 rounded on one side, or face, to correspond with the socket 14 and fiat on the other side, (to meet and be stopped-by the head of the bolt), is provided as a bearing-piece or 7 part for the right hand clamping-arm 14, and a similar washer 21, having its fiat side inclined to the vertical, is provided as a bearing piece, or part for the left hand arm. The spherical surfaces of the washers are referably described by radii R, R, (Fig. 11) that have their center points at C and C respectively.

The bolt 18, for assembling the parts named in their designed co-relation, is successively passed through apertures or openings in the same for the purpose, from its free, or left hand end, as shown in the drawings, towards the head at the right hand end, namely the washer 20, the open interior of the bowl, or clamping-j aw, of the right hand arm 14, under the arch 11, through the bowl of the left-hand arm, the washer 21, a third washer-like piece, or block 23, into a threaded engagement with an adjusting nut 24. Said washer 23 has a face at the same incli nation to the axis of its hole as the fiat side of the washer 21, and as, in the stated order, the two washers are positioned with their inclined faces opposite to each other, and

are slidably mounted on the bolt, it results that there will be an upwardly divergent space or interval between these parts that may be limited to any predetermined width along the bolt, by means of the adjusting by so doing, force the sliding member of the pair, into an actuating engagement with its next adjacent arm 14, that by the arrangement shown, will bring the pair of arms into the gripping position and contact with the rail-head designed.

In such calculation, the precise angle of the wedge, and of the parts on the bolt with which it is to contact, will be governed by various considerations. It small, the weight of the wedge required to set the clampingjaws against the rail, may be less than if the angle is larger; the wedge will also be more sure of self-locking, and of retaining its locking place against any back-thrust of the parts. A small angle, on the other hand, will necessitate more power, and a larger solenoid, in order to lift the wedge, when sions are somewhat less than those of the mortise 25, and whose length is sufiicient to extend from near the bottom of the mortise 25 in the wedge 22 to near the top of a similar but inverted mortise 28 in the movable core or plunger 13" to be further pointed out. The lower end is provided with a round hole, which is perpendicular to its fiat sides The pin 30 passes through the holes 26, 26 in the wed e and the hole in the lower end of the link 2 thereby securing the link to the wedge. A second hole 27, oblong in shape, extends from near the middle portlon. of the link 27 to a point near the upper end of the link.

The solenoid 13 is made up of the usual component parts required for electro-magnets, which are: a magnetic frame 13, a spool 31 with its conducting wire, a stop or fixed core 13 and a plunger or movable core 13". The magnetic frame 13, in which the conducting wire wound on the spool 31 is placed, has its lower cross-piece bored to loosely receive the plunger core 13 and its upper cross-piece is bored to tightly receive the stop or fixed core 13. The stop orfixed core 13 has two diameters; the top portion, having the greater diameter and fitting tightly into the bore at the top of the mag netic frame 13, and is held in place by a bolt 32, and the lower portion with the lesser diameter, extends below the top cross-piece of the frame a short distance into the spool 31, which is bored to the same diameter as the lower cross-piece of the frame 13. The stop fits snugly in the spool and holds it in place in the magnet frame. A conical bore extends from the lower face of the stop upwardly to a distance of more than half the length of the stop, the stop being further bored upwardly through its remaining length, to receive the lower end of a plunger switch 33, that penetrates therethrough into the conical bore below. The plunger on movable core 13 is of one diameter throughout its cylindrical length and is slightly shorter than the diameters of the spool and the bore in the lower cross-piece of the mag. net-frame 13, in order that the plunger may function freely. A cone-shaped protuberance 13, adapted to fit the conical bore in the stop 13, projects from the top of the plunger proper. The mortise 28, above 'referred to, extends from the bottom of the plunger a suliicient distance upwardly to, accommodate a corresponding length of the link 27 that projects upwardl} therein from the wedge 22. Near the lower end of the plunger 13 and at right angles to the lon side of the mortise, are holes through whic a pin 34 passes. through the slotted hole 27 in the link 27 when the latter is in place in the mortise 28, thereby completing a loose coupling between the two parts. Holes 35, 35. like the The pin 3-1 also passes.

aseaeev holes139, 13, are located in the bottom of the frame 13 in alignment with the holes 13, 13, in the castin 11. These holes receive the upper en 5 of the supporting springs 16, 15. The upwardl arm 12 is bifurcated at 12 an the pron 12, 12*, of the forked portion straddle t e p n 15, which keeps the solenoid in an uprl ht position.

he details of a preferential electrical system comprising in their proper sequence and location, the wiring, resistances, solenolds, terminals, contactors connections, and other essentials for the functioning of a solenoid-device of the kind shown in the drawings, when an overhead bridge-crane, to which the device pertains, is started, stopped, or continuously traversed upon its supporting rails, are indicated dia rammatlcally in Fig. X, and, with su cient defimteness, it is thought, to make it unnecessary to add anything further to the text for a full understanding of the same by those versed in the art.

In that system the positive supply main 4:1 and the negative supply main 42 comprise the circmt D. The wires of this cir cult are strung along the bridge and fed by wires that are ledup the pier from the collector shoes on the pier sill.

As will be manifest, when the brid structure is'at a state of rest, the drum of extending the master controller is at the ofi or neuthe various switches, contactors, solenoid and the motor are open; the bridge motor brake is set by the spring in the solenoidbrake and the clamping members of the several rail clamps are in engagement with the several rail-heads, and will' only be unset, and the rail-clamps drawn clear of the head, when the current that is to travel the bridge has first energized the solenoids 13.

The manually operated clamp 152, shown in Figure XI, is constructed of the same number of clamp details as the electrically operated clamp differentiating therefrom, however, in two details, namely: the clamp casting 152 (corresponding with the casting 11) has extensions 152 152, at the left of the pin 15 which do not occur on the electrically operated clamp, and, also, in that the wedge 156 (corresponding with 22 in the other figure) is of a different construction above the line 156".

The extensions 152 are provided with holes near their extremities through which passed for supporting a handle ifurcated to receive a curved and out of eng to extend from its place in'the clamp to within a short distance of the is connected to the handle 154 by the curved link155 which enters the space between the prongs at the top end of the'wed A pin J a movable bearing-part on'the other side,

157 secures the link 155 to the we 0 156.

The clamp is operated to re ease the clamping members, by throwing the handle 154, from the position shown in full lines, over to the position shown in the dotted lines. The peculiar shape of the link 155 allows its pivotal oint on the handle to 0 beyond the pivota point 153 of the hand e. The relation ofthe pivotal points 153 and 154 is such, that when the wedge 156 is up agement, any loador downward pull app ied at the po nt 154 will keep the handle 154 in its uppermost position insuring at all times, when it is desired, a disengaged clamp. The manually-operated clamp should be made to engage the rails at the close of a days work, be ore the operator leaves the plant. Before again starting the bridge, he should re-visit each clamp and throw the handles over to the upper position.

By the loose-link coupling between'the movable core 13 and in the wedge 22 in the electrically operated device, an interval is insured in the upward plunge of the core when the solenoid 13 is energized, during which the core gains an impetus, or momentum whereby the wedge is disengaged from between the washers 21 and 23, with the exertion of a less pulling force, than if the wedge and plunger-core were in a single piece.

It will be understood that in the means herein shown for practicing the invention, many details are indicated, that, upon due discrimination, will be reco ized as contributing, rather to the exce lence of form or function than to the essence of the device.

Although the clearance aperture throu h the lower ends of the clamping arms, or instance, is referred to as conical, it is not intended to thereb restrict the term to its geometrical signi canoe alone, nor, save when distinctly so claimed, to require movable bearing parts, for example, and exclude fixed parts where fixed parts would also express the idea of the invention.

Such dispensable details, it'is accordingly expected, will be duly harmonized with idea of the invention as it intended to be claimed.

What is so claimed and sought to be secured by Letters-Patent, is

1. A clamping device for securing overhead cranes, and similar structures, to their supporting rails comprising the combination of a casing, oppositel disposed arms pivotally suspended there om in a com mon plane of rotation one of said members being in a secondary plane of rotation transverse to the common plane, the other arm pin 153. It.

a one-way and a two-way being held against movement in that direction; jaws fixed on said arms; inwardly flaring a ertures through the jaws; a bolt passing t rough the apertures; a fixed bearing-- part on the bolt on one side of the arms, and

exiv able part, for pressing said arms into opposite contact with the rail, and holding the parts contributing to such contact in their relative places, and means for releasin said holding means, and contact, substantia 1y as shown and described.

2. A clamping device for overhead cranes, and similar structures, comprising the comblnation of a casing, a pair of oppositely related clamping-arms having inwardly flaring apertures therethrough, the members of the pair being suspended from the casing by respectively, a one-way and a two-way ivota-l connection; the one-way member bemg held against movement transversely of such Way; a bolt through the apertures; bearing-pieces thereon, at the outer sides of the pans, adapted to engage the jaws opposi'tely, when moved towards each other along the bolt, one of said pieces being slidably mounted on the bolt and the other fixedly held against outward movement thereon b a stop, or head, on the bolt provided for t e purpose, and suitable means, operating on said bearing-pieces, for forcing the jaws towards and into contact with the rail to be clamped, and, holding such contact until released, together with means for releasing the same, substantially as shown and described.

3. A clamping-device for overhead cranes, and similar structures, comprising the combination of a casing, a pair of oppositely related clamping-arms. having jaws with inwardly flaring apertures therethrough, fixed to the same, the members of'the pa1r being suspended from the casing by, res tively,

ivota connection, the one-waymember being held by the casing against movement transversely to such way; a bolt, provided with closureends, passing through the apertures; oppositely arranged bearing pieces on the belt, at the outer side of the pair, in engagement, severall with-the jaws, said bearing pieces and sai jaws being complementary in-contour at their points of engagement, and one of the bearing-pieces bein movable along the bolt, and having its fur ier side slopin a third bearing-piece, with its near si esloping at a corresponding angle, on the bolt at a predetermined distance from the movable plece. and a we d e, of approximately the dimensions an shape of the space between the sloping pieces when such members are in their deslgned co-operating places within said space, together with suitable means for lifting the wedge therefrom,

' and for permitting it to descend therein, ac-

wedge will be closely held together against the closure-pieces throughout said distance between, substantially as shown and described.

4. A device for clamping electrically traveled overhead cranes, and similar structures, to their supporting rails, comprising the combination of a casing, a pair of oppositely disposed clamping-arms having jaws with inwardly flaring apertures therethrough, the members of the pair being pivotally suspended from the casing by, respectively, a, one-way and a two-way plvotal connection, the one-way member being held by the easing against movement transversely to such way; a bolt, provided with closure ends, passing through the apertures, oppositely eeaee'? arranged bearing-pieces on the bolt, at the outer sides of the pair in engagement, severally, with the jaws, said bearing-pieces and said 'aws being complementary in contour at t e points of bearing engagement to add flexibility thereto, and one of the bearing-pieces bein r movable along the bolt, and having its furt er side sloping; a third bearing-piece, with its near side sloping at a corresponding angle, on the bolt located at a predetermined distance from the movable piece when said piece is at the limit of its inward movement alon the bolt; a wedge of approximately the dimensions and shape of t e space between said sloping pieces when sai pieces are at the limit of their opposite movements along the bolt; a, solenoid operatively connected to the wedge for liftmg the same above said space when electrica ly energized, and releasing the same from such position when de-energized,,the closurepieces at the bolt ends being at such predetermined distance apart, and said bearing pieces and jaws of such dimensions and shapes, that when the jaws are in clamping contact with the rail, and said wedge with in said space, the bearing-pieces, jaws and wedge Wlll be closely held together against the closure-pieces throughout the entire distance between.

BRENT C. JACOB.

In presence of- L P. Lrrrs, C. S. MALTBIE. 

